Compositions and methods for treating extracellular parasitic infections

Abstract

There is disclosed herein a composition for treating extracellular parasitic infections, the composition comprising one or more of the following combinations: at least one quinolone or fluoroquinolone together with at least one tetracycline, iodoquinol, an azole or imidazole; or at least two agents selected from the group consisting of iodoquinol, thiazolidones, tetracycline, nitroimidazoles, cotrimoxazole and diloxanide furoate. There is also disclosed herein a method for treating extracellular parasitic infections in a vertebrate in need of said treatment, wherein said treatment comprises administering to said vertebrate a therapeutically effective amount of (i) a composition comprising a quinolone or fluoroquinolone together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or (ii) a composition of the invention or (iii) a combination of at least one quinolone or fluoroquinolone optionally together with at least one tetracycline, iodoquinol, an azole or imidazole; or (iv) a combination of at least two agents selected from the group consisting of iodoquinol, thiazolidones, tetracycline, nitroimidazoles, cotrimoxazole and diloxanide furoate.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A composition for treating extracellular parasitic infections, the composition comprising:
 one or more of the following combinations: 
 (a) a norfloxacin together or in combination with at least one tetracycline, an iodoquinol, an azole or an imidazole; or 
 (b) a norfloxacin together with at least two agents selected from tetracycline, iodoquinol, an azole or imidazole. 
 
     
     
       2. The composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of cinoxacin, flumequine, oxolinic acid, piromidic acid, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, fleroxacin, lomefloxacin, nadifloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, rufloxacin, balofloxacin, grepafloxacin, levofloxacin, pazufloxacin mesilate, sparfloxacin, temafloxacin, tosufloxacin, clinafloxacin, gemifloxacin, moxifloxacin, gatifloxacin, sitafloxacin, trovafloxacin, ecinofloxacin, and prulifloxacin. 
     
     
       3. The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the tetracycline is selected from the group consisting of a tetracycline, a chlortetracycline, an oxytetracycline, a demeclocycline, a doxycycline, a lymecycline, a meclocycline, a minocycline, a methacycline, a rolitetracycline and a penimepicycline. 
     
     
       4. The composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the azole or imidazole is selected from the group consisting of a ketoconazole, a fluconazole, a miconazole, a clotrimazole, a tioconazole, a sulconazole, an econazole, an itraconazole and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       5. The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional anti-parasitic drug. 
     
     
       6. The composition according to  claim 5  wherein the anti-parasitic drug is selected from the group consisting of an emetine, a quinacrine, a satranidazole, a flunidazole, a ronidazole and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       7. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the thiazolidone is selected from the group consisting of a nitazoxanide, a denitrozoxanide, a tizoxanide and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       8. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nitroimidazole is selected from the group consisting of a metronidazole, a etronidazole, a secnidazole, an imidazole, an ornidazole, a furazolidone and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       9. The composition of  claim 1 , including combinations of three or four different agents. 
     
     
       10. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises the combination of a norfloxacin and a ketoconazole. 
     
     
       11. The composition according to  claim 1  wherein the composition further comprises two agents selected from the group consisting of an iodoquinol and a doxycycline, a nitazoxanide and a doxycycline, a nitazoxanide and a secnidazole, a furazolidone and a secnidazole, a furazolidone and a nitazoxanide, a doxycycline and a secnidazole, and a doxycycline and a furazolidone, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       12. A method for treating extracellular parasitic infections in a vertebrate in need of said treatment, wherein said treatment comprises administering to said vertebrate a therapeutically effective amount of
 (i) a composition of  claim 1 , or 
 (ii) a combination of a norfloxacin together with at least one tetracycline, iodoquinol, azole or imidazole. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein the extracellular parasite is  Blastocysts hominis, Dientamoeba fragilis  or both. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12  including administering a dosage of at least one milligram to five grams per day. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the extracellular parasite is a  Giardia lamblia  (intestinalis) or an  Entamoeba histolytica.    
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the composition or combination is administered via a colonoscope, or as a transcolonoscopic infusion. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the composition or combination is formulated as a capsule, an enteric coated capsule or a liquid. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the composition or combination is administered as a single enema or a single infusion or as recurrent enemas through a colonoscope in a volume of 10 ml to 1 liter of liquid. 
     
     
       19. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is formulated as a capsule, an enteric coated capsule or a liquid. 
     
     
       20. The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
       21. The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the azole or imidazole is selected from the group consisting of ketoconazole, fluconazole, miconazole, clotrimazole, tioconazole, sulconazole, econazole, itraconazole and mixtures thereof.